Brunlea wrote:I agree laws are there, and generally laws are to protect life and property; travelling at 31mph can be dangerous, and I agreed to those act/laws when I accepted my driving license. Although the Wireless Telegraphy Act could be argued by the freemen of the land is not a law, rather than an act imposed on you if you accept it. I'd rather be within the law but enjoy a harmless hobby that doesn't cause a threat to life or property.

You agree that laws are there but you only agree that some of them apply to you? More realistically expressed as everyone choses to ignore some laws 'Freemen of the land' - interesting to bring that term into things. If you believe the spam about it then you presumably do not accept that any Act of Parliament applies to you and all of the other waffle becomes irrelevant ........so you could use broadcastify or any other streaming medium with impunity.

Brunlea wrote:Who gives the permission to everyone to listen to aircraft at Manchester Airport? If the shop has permission to sell a radio for monitoring aviation, then buying that radio from them surely means you have that permission to use it for that purpose? I hope they tell buyers and state it in the sale it's only to be used at that location.

The licence holder, Manchester Airport Plc has given permission. In the same way, most airshows give permission. In both cases presumably because it is easier to do so (for a perfectly harmless hobby) than to try and prevent people from bringing airband capable receivers on site and breaking the law by using them. They also permit airband communication to be broadcast over their PA system (as do the Sparrows and other display aircraft).As for the shop telling you anything about the legality..why should they? It is not illegal to buy, sell or own a receiver/scanner capable of receiving any radio frequency in the UK. It is up to the person using such equipment to operate it within the law.

Brunlea wrote:How can listening to an aircraft be more dangerous than watching or broadcasting an exact location of an aircraft through RadarBox software? That's right, it isn't which is why most other countries don't give a second thought about people listening.

Who said it's more dangerous? You now mention 'radarbox software' - I guess this means you DON'T in fact operate the RADAR transmitter that you earlier post implied. As for whether using a radio to monitor mode S / ADBS signals is legal or otherwise...no idea. Does it class as 'broadcast' (ie. not intended for a specific recipient) and is therefore fair game?

There are often comments that NATS / CAA come down hard and quickly on people yet there are hundreds of youtube clips of UK ATC comms. None of the reports ever seem to be able to quote specific examples or named people.

If people use any of my online recievers to listen to things they shouldn't I don't worry as there is a clear statement to the effect that people should use the receivers within the terms of their local laws and that I don't take responsibility for ensuring they do. OFCOM must be happy with that as the receivers have been online for around 15 years and they've never knocked on my door (unlike the TV licensing people who write to my home address once a month to remind the occupier that there is time to get a licence before the court case is instigated).

Like most people on here, I'll continue to listen to what I feel like regardless of the legality given that I'm unlikely to do any harm to the licencees/users/myself.

I never even mentioned a radar transmitter. I said radar, and I think most of us understand I was referring to a RadarBox/software of some sort. I would have a radar transmitter if I was allowed however as i'm a massive geek

Does Manchester Airport PLC have the authority to give permission to listen to NATS then as it's not just Manchester ATC I hear? I might email Ofcom and see if they can shed some light on who can give permission to listen to what in terms of aviation.

A shop can sell anything it wants but it can't mislead a customer.

I tend to abide by most laws being the fool I am but if I want to continue my hobby by not breaking these laws I should perhaps become a freeman. I even pay for my TV license